 CATS out of the bag
EDINBURGH'S Traverse is commanding the field in the shortlists for the 2009–10 Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland. The Cambridge Street theatre has ten nominations across six categories, including best director where Dominic Hill is going head-to-head with himself thanks to his work on The Dark Things and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (pic: Richard Campbell). Snapping at the Traverse's heels is Dundee Rep, which has six nominations including one for Jemima Levick as best director for The Elephant Man. See the CATS website for the full breakdown. Tickets for the ceremony and party at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on the afternoon of Sunday 13 June are on sale for £15 at the EFT box office.  Creative thinking
ANDREW Dixon set himself the challenge of meeting 100 artists in 100 days, but reckons he's probably hit his target in a week. The chief executive designate of Creative Scotland, which is due to launch on 1 July, has been getting about the country, listening to artists and explaining his vision for the new funding body – or, in Dixon-speak, "investment" body. "Creative Scotland is not an institution but a rallying call," he told an audience at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, yesterday, during the Bank of Scotland Imaginate festival, adding that he aimed to invest in "talent, people, places and ideas". He said artists should not ask how Creative Scotland can support them, but how they can contribute to Creative Scotland. "These are the things we're trying to do for Scotland: how can you help?" Eden Court Theatre in Inverness has been awarded £85,000 from Creative Scotland's Highland arts programme to create a touring show in partnership with the Scottish Theatre Consortium. Unicorn huntingEDINBURGH'S Royal Lyceum has appointed Alex McGowan as executive director to work alongside artistic director Mark Thomson as joint chief executive. Thomson's gain is Tony Graham's loss: McGowan is general manager at London's Unicorn Theatre where Graham, formerly of Glasgow's TAG theatre company, is artistic director. McGowan also has experience at the MacRobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Northern Stage in Newcastle and the Young Vic in London. "I am absolutely delighted that we have managed to appoint someone with the experience, talent and vision of Alex," says Thomson. "It puts in place the partnership model that the board and I believe is absolutely necessary for a healthy, progressive Lyceum Theatre Company."  One hundred tiny photos and a million tiny plays
TO promote its forthcoming production of A Million Tiny Plays About Britain, Glasgow's Citizens Theatre ran an online Snapshot of Britain competition. It had over 100 entries and this image, by Moochin Photoman (probably not what his mum calls him), was the winner. Untitled awardANOTHER winner is Stewart Laing, the Glasgow-based director and designer, who has been awarded £273,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Breakthrough Fund. He'll be putting the money towards three productions over the next three years with his Untitled Productions. First though, he's got to direct Mark Ravenhill’s 10 Plagues for London's Royal Court and design Peter Grimes for La Scala in Milan. Group therapySOME people who are subscribed to this newsletter have not signed up to the separate email discussion group. To join the discussion follow this link and look for the option to "apply for membership". OPENING SOONAddress Unknown, Tron, Glasgow, May 15–22 Kiss Me Kate, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, May 14–Oct 16 One Million Tiny Plays about Britain, Citizens, Gasgow, May 18–Jun 5 Room, Tron, Glasgow, May 18–25 The Other Side of Conflict, Ink, Tron, Glasgow,Glasgow May 18–22 Sweeney Todd, Dundee Rep, May 19–Jun 12 Still a Bigot, Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow May 19–29 Noises Off, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, May 20–Oct 16 LAST CHANCE TO SEEThe Goat, or Who is Sylvia? Traverse, Edinburgh, Apr 17–May 18 Raspberry, Sounds of Progress, Tron, Glasgow, Mar 31-May 14 Betrayed, Tron, Glasgow, May 7–14 A Most Civil Arrangement, V.Amp/Tron, Glasgow, May 7–15 Imaginate, various venues, Edinburgh, May 10–16 Drumhead, Rhymes with Purple, Tron, Glasgow, May 10–15 Jordan, Gappad, Tron, Glasgow, May 11–15 |  | |
| 13 May 2010 The Scotsman A Most Civil Arrangement/JordanBy Colin Hough, and Moira Buffini and Anna Reynolds. A Tron Theatre review. 13 May 2010 The Scotsman Five shows in the Imaginate children's theatre festival 11 May 2010 The Guardian By David Greig and Franca Rame. A Tron Theatre review. 7 May 2010 The Guardian By Des Dillon. An NLP review.  30 April 2010 Northings
Peter PanBy JM Barrie adapted by David Greig. A National Theatre of Scotland review. 27 April 2010 The Guardian By Edward Albee. A Traverse Theatre review. 22 April 2010 Northings By Robert Louis Stevenson. A Wee Stories theatre review.  7 April 2010 The Guardian
By Garry Robson. A Fittings Multimedia, Sounds of Progress and Tron review. |
